In an image forming apparatus using an electro-photographic process such as copying machine, printer, etc., toner is supplied to a developing device. There is a toner bottle of which top is inserted directly into a toner supply mechanism at the main body side of an image forming apparatus to supply toner by rotating with the driving of the supply mechanism. The toner bottle emptied after supplying toner is pulled out from the main body of an image forming apparatus and exchanged with a new toner bottle. The inserting portion of such a toner bottle is formed thinner than the toner containing portion. That is, there is a step produced between its toner containing portion and the inserting portion.
To exchange such a toner bottle with a new one, the emptied bottle is pulled out from the main body of an image forming apparatus by sliding it along a stay supporting a toner bottle in the main body of the image forming apparatus. And in order to prevent toner from spilled out from a toner bottle when exchanging it with a new bottle, a shutter is provided at a toner discharging port of the toner bottle.
However, in case of a conventional image forming apparatus, as there is a step between the toner containing portion and the inserting portion of a toner bottle, the inserting portion of a toner bottle is struck against the inserting portion of the stay when a toner bottle is pulled out from the main body of an image forming apparatus. As a result, there was such a trouble caused to contaminate the inside of the main body of the image forming apparatus at the near portion of the inserting port of the stay by the toner adhered to the inserting portion dropped by the shock even if there is a shutter provided at the toner discharging port.
So, an image forming apparatus capable of preventing its inside from being contaminated by toner by preventing toner adhered to a toner bottle from dropping by the shock when pulling out a toner bottle by sliding it along the stay is desired.